Karp, A. DOB 1925
In 1940 Karp recalls his father being recruited into the military and
approximately two years later he was transferred to a labour camp in
Russia. His father kept in contact with the family until January 1943.
Karp, who lived in Hungary, describes the Jewish Laws that went into
effect in 1943. Jews were excluded and restricted in areas of education,
travel and food rationing. He notes that things happened "so
fast" once the Germans arrived in Baktalorantháza. Jews were
forced to wear the yellow star, a curfew was imposed and he recalls that
within weeks a public order was issued that all the Jews had to move
into the Kisvárda ghetto. He describes the overcrowded fenced-in area
in Kisvárda, and recalls that food was rationed and there were isolated
incidents of abuse. He remembers that underground news stories reached
them, but they were unable to verify the information. Karp was taken to
the railroad station with approximately 30 members of his family once
the evacuation of the ghetto began. They were not told where they were
going and approximately 100 to 150 people were packed into the railroad
car. Karp describes the conditions of this transport: there was no place
to sleep, a minimum amount of food, pails were provided for sanitary
use, and the car doors never opened during the two-day transport.
When they arrived at Birkenau, he still with some members of his
family. Once the selections were made he was separated from his mother,
sister, and grandmother. Karp believes that Dr. Mengele was present at
these selections. He describes his first hours at Birkenau and recalls
his feelings at that time. After a stay of about two months both Karp
and his uncle were selected to work as sheet metal labourers. He
remembers being taken along with approximately 500 other workers to an
isolated area in France close to Luxembourg. He describes the work they
did and the kindness of some of the French people and some of the
Wehrmacht guards. Karp states that this camp was like "heaven"
compared to Birkenau.
Karp recalls that during his time in France both he and his uncle
gave each other strength. The were aware of the Allied invasion by this
time and he recalls hearing cannon fire in the distance. He remembers
orders being given to evacuate and the men were sent by train to an
already established labour camp at Kochendorf. He describes the
deteriorating conditions at this camp: sickness, lack of food, lack of
health care. Karp talks about the "survival of the fittest"
and how people became "like animals."
He recalls that by March or April as the Allied forces closed in
evacuations began. His uncle was sent out of the camp with a group that
went on foot and Karp went with another group on open railroad cars. He
describes the horrible conditions on this four-day transport, which
traversed only 80 miles. He remembers people freezing to death and
admits, "I covered myself with a dead body and my pillow was a dead
body." The train finally stopped at Dachau concentration camp.
Karp recalls that people were dying all around him. He also explains
how he was reunited with his uncle in Dachau. The prisoners were
evacuated by train during the last week in April. They travelled in the
direction of Austria, but Karp describes how they were ordered out of
the train at a railroad station. He recalls that at this time they were
very weak and could hardly walk or talk. Many were dying in the snow. He
remembers waking up the next day and finding that the guards had fled.
He and his uncle then hid in a nearby farmhouse until their liberation
by American soldiers.
They stayed with the American army for a couple of weeks before
travelling to Munich and then Bologna, where they stayed for a couple of
months. From there they travelled through Yugoslavia to Budapest,
Hungary. There, Karp discovered that his father survived and was on his
way home. He also found that an aunt still lived. Altogether, only six
members of his family of approximately 40 people survived the Holocaust.
Karp left Hungary in December 1948, travelled to Austria, and then to
Canada. From Canada, he came to the United States.
Interview Information:
Date: June 22, 1983
Length: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Interviewer: Anita Schwartz
Format: Audio recording
NOTE: It has now been established that the Karp family is related to the Fischer clan albeit through
marriage. This is why this story is being published here it can also be found in its original form including
sound files at: http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/index.html
